Indian Chicken and Rice

The other night, I asked Hubby what sounded good for dinner. He was craving Indian food and wanted  brown rice and slightly crisp vegetables. With that in mind, I came up with this.

Indian Chicken and Rice

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, cut into half-moon slices
2 medium zucchini, cut into half-moon slices
3/4 cup of chopped mushrooms
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups shredded chicken (from the freezer)
Big splash of soy sauce
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp onion powder (or a small onion, chopped)
3 cups cooked brown rice

In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add broccoli and carrots. Cook about 5 minutes. Add other vegetables and garlic and cook for 3 minutes more. Add chicken, soy sauce, and spices. Stir and cook until vegetables are at desired tenderness. (I cooked it for about 8 minutes.) Mix in brown rice. Serve warm.

I was amazed at how much the boys liked this. They each had 2 plates full and cleaned their bowls at lunch the next day!

Meal Plan 9/30/13

     Since I began my internship, the boys have started daycare. This means I have to have 4 lunches packed and ready to go before I leave each morning. In the chaos of the first month, I completely neglected meal planning, and our budget and health paid the price. Way too much over-priced, over-processed junk for my liking, and I had way too many mornings of stressing about what the heck to pack for lunches. Last week, we got back to meal planning, and life's gone much smoother because of it.

Monday:

Breakfast:  Cereal and bananas

Lunch (Kids): Leftover Indian Chicken and Rice, sliced apples

Lunch (Adults): Leftover Indian Chicken and Rice, celery sticks, peach

Dinner: Spaghetti with mushroom sauce, salad


Tuesday:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins

Lunch (Kids): Ham roll-ups, Annie's bunnies, celery sticks, peach slices

Lunch (Adults): Leftover spaghetti, carrots and celery, hummus cup

Dinner: Steak, couscous, broccoli, and carrots


Wednesday:

Breakfast: Sausage, grits, and apples

Lunch (Kids): Quesadillas with black beans, bell pepper strips, Craisins, and tortilla chips

Lunch (Adults): Quesadillas with black beans, bell pepper strips, Craisins, and tortilla chips and salsa

Dinner: At Mimi's


Thursday:

Breakfast: Cereal and mandarin oranges

Lunch (Kids): Cream cheese crackers, celery sticks, raisins, bunnies

Lunch (Adults): Tuna salad sandwich, celery, chips and salsa

Dinner: At Mimi's


Friday:

Breakfast: Cream cheese toast, apple slices

Lunch (Kids): Ham wrap, zucchini sticks,  and applesauce

Lunch (Adults): Salad with cannellini beans, mandarin oranges, and beets

Dinner: Mexican black bean casserole with a salad


Saturday:

Breakfast: Baked oatmeal

Lunch: Grilled cheese and salad

Dinner: German Lentil Soup


Sunday:

Breakfast: Pancakes, sausage, and fruit

Lunch: Ham sandwiches, apples, and carrot chips

Dinner: Spinach lasagna and salad

Italian Chicken Casserole

Dinner has become more stressful since starting my internship. I've found myself compromising my ideals for our diet for just getting something on the table. I've let it slide for the first month until we get into our new routine, and that's fine, but it's time to get back to "real food." My new challenge is to make real food, real fast. Casseroles are the ideal weekday supper. They're delicious and require few pots and pans. Once mixed, they get put in the oven for about 30 minutes (enough time to get kids transitioned, bags unpacked, and the table set).

Here is a casserole I came up with on the fly using what I had on hand. (Sorry about the lack of pictures. It was a crazy night, and I didn't know it would be so good.) It's not a prefect dish, but it's darn good and more "real food"- like than what we've been eating. Fair warning, this makes a big casserole. We had leftovers for both Hubby's and my lunch for 2 days. Next time, I might make it 2 casseroles; one for dinner and one for the freezer.

Italian Chicken Casserole

1 box of whole wheat pasta (rotini, penne, ziti, or some other short pasta)
3 cups shredded chicken (from the freezer)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 medium bell peppers, chopped (I had a red and a yellow on hand, but any color will do.)
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
2 jars of pasta sauce (I'll use my sauce from the freezer in the future.)
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook pasta, leaving it slightly undercooked.
2. In a separate pan, cook the onion until it begins to soften. Add the peppers and the mushrooms to the pan. Add chicken. Season with salt, pepper, oregano.
3. Add the sauce to the chicken and vegetables.
4. Drain the pasta and combine with the vegetable mixture.
5. Pour into a 13X9 that has been sprayed with oil. Top with mozzarella cheese, and bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Babyzilla and I made a quick salad (I cut the vegetables, and he added them to the bowl), and dinner was ready. It was a huge hit with the kids and the adults! The leftovers were great, even cold.

Did Your 2-year-old Do Your Hair?

"Did your 2 year old do your hair?" M, the one making the rocket shoes, asked me this this morning. Apparently, I looked rough, ever rougher than I imagined. So let that be a lesson to you all. Don't wake up with 15 minutes to get ready when you haven't picked out clothes, packed lunches, and had a shower the night before.

Internship: Month #1

      The pre-planning week, my supervising teacher was in trainings all week, so I was in charge of setting up the classroom. At the beginning of the day, she'd make a list for me to complete by day's end.  
I'd turn on some music, have it done by lunch, and get to read a book (a rare treat for a mom of two littles) until I could leave. I learned how to make bulletin board on bare walls, how to build cubbies, and how to scale filing cabinets to hand letter cards. It was a lot more fun than it sounds, I promise.

      Yesterday began the 4th week of school. I knew that teaching is not for the faint of heart, but dang. According to my supervising teacher, this is the craziest class she's ever had. The first day of school, we had to call parents and send students to their own "islands" away from the rest of the class. The third day, we had to re-do the seating chart completely. We exhausted our "bag of tricks" in the first 2 weeks. Being nice didn't work, bribes didn't work, yelling and screaming didn't work.

     These kids are characters, I tell you. One is designing rocket shoes, and she's taking it very seriously. Every spare second of the day is spent doing research on aerodynamics and jet propulsion. This kid is going to do big things with her life, I can tell. We have a student who's so witty that it gets him into a lot of trouble. My absolute favorite kid (I know, I know. We're not supposed to have those, but if you were here, he'd be your favorite, too.) is A. A is an average to slightly below average student. He comes from a crazy home life and doesn't get a lot of positive attention, but dang it all if he doesn't work his butt off for me. And he's hilarious. Puts me in stitches every single day. For example, we were checking math homework, and every time he got an answer right, he yelled out, "BINGO!" I told him, jokingly, that we aren't playing bingo, we're playing "check the math homework." After that, he'd yell out "Checked the math homework!" and do a dance when he got a question right. My teacher and I were dying laughing. If we can get his to harness his charisma for good, he'll be set. He probably won't go to college, as is the case with most of these kids, because of less than stellar grades and test scores, but he's going to make the world a better place, just by being himself.

     Then there's J, bless his heart. The first week of school, his hand shoots into the air, and he's waving it and hollering for me like his leg just got bitten off by a coyote. I come rushing to him. I kid you not, this was our conversation:

Me: What's wrong?
J: I dropped my paper on the floor.
Me: ... so pick it up.
J: Okay.

He then begins to lean over to reach the paper that is clearly out of reach. I have to tell him to stand up to go get the paper. He's a B+ student. It's not that he has a mental difficulty. He just has absolutely no common sense whatsoever. I gave him an eraser to put on his pencil, and, I kid you not, he couldn't figure out what to do with it.

    Then there are the kids that make my heart break. C can't tie his shoes in the 3rd grade, and K doesn't know her letters. A "normal" reading rate for third graders is 77 words per minute. These two are below 10. They are prime examples of kids failed by the school system. We're working with them as much as possible, but K doesn't come to school (already missed 8 days), and C gets frustrated and gives up easily. Honestly, I can't blame him. If I couldn't read, at all, in the 3rd grade, I'd be upset, too.

     Last Friday, my supervising teacher was out of town, so it was just me (with substitute supervision). By 10:30, I was spent. Normally, there are 2 of us trying to keep them from swinging from the rafters. It was crazy. I'd used up my tricks, so I just broke down. I was completely honest. I told them how sad I was that we can't do fun things. That I have a Pinterest board with 100 fun things that I want to do with them, but we can't because they won't be quiet and follow directions. I told them that I've given up hope of being able to have fun with them this year. Although it was not my intention, my honesty turned on the lightbulbs. For the rest of the day, they were a normal class. They walked in line, listened to instruction, and got rewarded with a dance party because we got done with our work early. I really wish it hadn't come to me losing my mind, but I'm glad something clicked, finally.

World Breastfeeding Week 2013

It's World Breastfeeding Week. People have asked me why I care about breastfeeding so much. The answer is, oddly enough, because my older son was formula-fed. There are mothers who choose to use or need to use formula for whatever reason. That doesn't make me mad.

What makes me upset is that misinformation (e.g. breastmilk has no benefit after ___ months) robs women of the choice to breastfeed and that doctors and nurses have little or no training when it comes to breastfeeding but still give "advise" (a.k.a. tell moms to supplement when it isn't necessary or put baby on a feeding schedule, which will destroy milk supply).

What angers me is that formula companies send home samples with the intent to sabotage breastfeeding, and that the act of feeding one's child is treated as something to be ashamed of or a sick fetish. Would you ask a mother giving a bottle to "do that in the bathroom"?

What make me sad is that mothers who breastfeed often feel alone and isolated. When a minor problem comes up (as they often do), well-meaning people immediately insist on supplementation rather than solving the minor issue before it becomes a major issue. I feel sad, honest to goodness sad, for mothers who use formula (be it by choice or necessity) because there isn't a better product on the market. Even after all these years, formula is still, basically, processed milk with sugar and oil with some added vitamins.

I know what it's like to struggle with breastfeeding. It's heart wrenching. No woman should have to go through that because of misinformation, sabotage, and/or societal hang-ups. So, mamas, keep on keepin' on whether it's with a breast, a bottle of breastmilk (yours or a donor), or a bottle of formula. If it's YOUR best, it's awesome.

Hamburger and Potato Casserole

This is one of Hubby's favorite dishes from his childhood. I made a few changes from the original to make it more health and budget friendly. Serve it with a salad or some green beans for a complete meal. This recipe makes enough to feed 2 adults, 2 hungry toddlers, and leftovers for lunch.

Hamburger and Potato Casserole


6 medium gold potatoes, cut into 1/3-1/2 inch slices (Any kind of potatoes should work, but we use golds.)
2 cups cooked ground beef (from the freezer) OR meat-free crumbles if you don't eat meat
1/2 pound (2 cans) of pinto beans or white beans, such as cannellini 
2 cans of tomato sauce - 14.5 oz each (I get organic tomato sauce from Costco.)
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a 13X9 dish, layer potatoes, then meat and beans. Top with tomato sauce. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and top with cheese. The heat from the casserole with melt it. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes to let it set and cool slightly.

Rise and Shine

I have a confession to make: I hate waking up before 9 a.m. Since having kids, I've clung to sleeping until 7:30 for dear life. My resistance to getting out of my warm, comfy bed was one of the major reasons I love (safe) co-sleeping. Bulldog moved into his own room, right next to ours, when he was about 7 months old, but still comes into bed with us if he's sick, going through sleep regression, etc. Same thing with Babyzilla. If he has a bad dream or doesn't feel well, we welcome him into the space between us, but for the most part, he sleeps in his bed. Mercifully, the boys have little issue sleeping until 7:30 or later, especially if they're snuggled up next to me.

A week from today, I start my internship and the boys start daycare. In order for us to be where we need to be on time, I have to get up by 5:15 a.m. That's over TWO HOURS earlier than I'm used to. Needless to say, I'm not happy about that. Hubby's been after me to start getting up earlier to "train" for the earlier ringing of the alarm clock, but we've all been sick. Now that I'm feeling better, mostly, we've agreed to do dry runs this week. We're going to run through our morning just like we will for the next 4 months.

The Plan:

Hubby will wake up and go to the gym and be back by 6:30. After he gets back, he'll dress the kids and take them to daycare. I'll get up by 5:15, get myself ready, pack lunches for all of us, wake up the boys, and feed them breakfast. I have to be out the door by 6:45 in order to be to the school by 7:15.

Today was the first day of training, but Hubby didn't go to the gym. I don't think he believed I'd actually get out of bed. By placing a second alarm clock across the room, I have to get out of bed. (Brilliant idea by the Hubby.) It worked! I was up and dressed by 5:30. Not bad considering we had two kiddos in bed with us all night. I got Hubby's breakfast and lunch packed while he showered. We tried to wake up the boys for 20 minutes, but they were having none of it. I think they might still have a touch of the bug, so we decided to let them sleep. Of course, 10 minutes after we made that decision, they were up and playing.

I learned 3 things from today's experiment:

1. Clothes need to be picked out the night before.
2. Anything that can be prepacked for lunches needs to be prepacked. We buy raisins from Costco and bag them in snack bags. I'll do the same with carrots, pretzels, hummus, crackers, and anything else that can go in lunchboxes.
3. I don't need to worry about disturbing the boys when I'm getting ready. They'll sleep through anything.

Ginger Chicken and Rice Soup

Our house has been plagued by a nasty summer bug. At least one of us has been sick for over two weeks. (Mostly me.) Chicken soup always makes me feel better, but I didn't want to go through all of the hassle of boiling a whole chicken and working for hours. I just wanted a bowl of soup. A bowl of this soup was delicious, comforting, and full of nutrients. It was easy and quick because I had shredded chicken, broth, spinach, and ginger in my freezer.


Ginger Chicken and Rice Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 cups shredded chicken
3-4 cloves of garlic, either grated or finely chopped
2 tsp grated ginger root 
Salt and Pepper
1 package of frozen spinach (10 oz)
4- 6 cups vegetable broth or water or a combination of both
1/3 cup of rice

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken, garlic, and ginger. Stir and cook for about a minute. Add broth and bring to a low boil. Add rice and stir. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add spinach and stir. Cook until all ingredients are heated through and rice is tender.

Project Sorghum Part 2: The Briquette

Remember that 40 pounds of sorghum we were given? It's still hanging out in our kitchen. The other day I decided to get real about using some of it. One of the uses for sorghum that I found online was to pop it like popcorn. The instructions were pretty simple: A little oil in the bottom of a pot + sorghum grains + heat + some stirring = popped sorghum. Easy right? Wrong.

As I was popping the sorghum, Bulldog started crying, so I turned off the stove and went to figure out what happened. In the 4 minutes it took me to calm him down, the pot of sorghum went from oily kernels to smoke machine. The whole apartment filled with smoke. I got the kids outside and got the pot off the stove. I opened the doors and windows to vent the smoke. I added water to the pot to prevent the kernels from igniting. The contents of the pot had transformed into a large, black briquette. After a minute of hacking because of inhaling the smoke, I shut the doors (leaving the kitchen window open), grabbed the diaper bag, and decided to go for a drive. I took the kids to the park to calm them down. I called Hubby to let him know what happened and that we were okay.

My clothes and hair wreaked of sorghum smoke, so I took a long shower that night. I'm still trying to scrub the charred residue out of my pot. The apartment still has a smokey smell, but it's not as bad as it was. I'm not sure if it's fading or if I'm just getting used to it. Either way, I won't be popping sorghum for a while.

Oatmeal Breakfast "Cupcakes"

I start my internship in about a month. In addition to the newness of being away from my kids for 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, we'll have to navigate a new morning and evening routine. Since I'll be the one in charge of feeding the boys breakfast before they head to daycare, I've decided to experiment with fast, easy, healthy recipes to see what will work for everybody. Babyzilla was really excited to get "cake" for breakfast. I was really excited to see the boys inhale a breakfast food that I can make the night before.

Oatmeal Breakfast "Cupcakes"

3 bananas, mashed
1 cup almond milk
2 eggs
splash of vanilla
2 1/2 cups oats (I use "old fashioned" oats)
1/4 cup berries OR chocolate chips OR cinnamon chips OR raisins

Mix all of the ingredients, except berries/chips. (Batter will be fairly thin.) Fold in the berries/ chips gently and scoop batter into greased/ lined muffin tins. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes (15-20 for mini muffins).

Menu Plan 7/8/13

A few days late but here it is:

 Monday:
     Breakfast: Cereal and fruit
     Lunch: Cream cheese crackers, strawberries, and carrot sticks
     Dinner: At Mimi's
Tuesday:
     Breakfast: Eggs and plums
     Lunch: Quesadillas with black beans and grilled peppers
     Dinner: Black bean and quinoa burritos
Wednesday:
     Breakfast: Sausage, toast, and strawberries
     Lunch: Left-over black beans, quinoa, and broccoli
     Dinner: Pasta with peas and cherry tomato sauce with white beans
Thursday:
     Breakfast: Cereal and bananas
     Lunch: Macaroni and cheese, spinach, and carrot sticks
     Dinner: Crock-pot honey lentils, rice, and spinach
Friday:
     Breakfast: Eggs, grits, and fruit
     Lunch:  Peanut butter crackers, raisins, yogurt, and carrot sticks
     Dinner: Tuna cakes, macaroni and cheese, broccoli, and carrot sticks
Saturday:
     Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins
     Lunch: Grilled cheese and soup
     Dinner: Sorghum pilaf, curried cauliflower, green beans, and bread
Sunday:
     Breakfast:Cereal and fruit
     Lunch: Vegetable fried rice
     Dinner: Pork roast, roasted carrots and potatoes, and broccoli

Project Sorghum Part 1: The Challenge

A woman in our local mommy group was giving away a partially full 5 gallon buck of sorghum kernels/ berries/ whatever they're called. I pounced on it. I love using new, real ingredients. If nothing else, we need a bucket to hold the 25 lbs of rice we just bought from Costco. After getting the bucket home, I began to realize just how much sorghum was in that bucket. It's about 40 POUNDS of sorghum. "What they heck am I going to do with this?" I asked myself. "Use it," I answered.

Since the bucket is open, I made it a personal mission to use every bit of it before the end of the year. There was just one problem: I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with 40 POUNDS of sorghum. Naturally, I went where any red-blooded American woman goes when she needs ideas- Pinterest. This is what I learned from my 1 hour of  Pinterest "research":

• Sorghum is a gluten-free grain that grows well in hot climates.
• It can be made into sorghum syrup. (So not happening in my kitchen, but nice to know.)
• It can be ground into flour and used to make breads. (Good thing we have a grain mill.)
• It's easy to cook. Very similar to rice. Cook it in 3 parts liquid to1 part grain for 50 minutes.
• It can be popped in a pot on the stove! (Think of the old fashioned way to make popcorn.)
• It's really good in curries.

I won't lie; The task seems immense, but it also sounds like a lot of fun. The Lord provided us with this bounty, so I intent to make the most of it. That said, if you have any recipes for sorghum, please send them my way. I be here, under the pile of sorghum.

A Child's Prayer

About a week ago, we were gathering for evening prayer like we do (almost) every night. Hubby started to pray, but Babyzilla would have none of it, very unlike him. Hubby asked him what was wrong.
He replied, "I do it."
"You want to say the prayer?"
"Yes"
"Okay."
"YAY!"
We all bowed our heads and folded our arms to listen to Babyzilla's prayer. "Deew Henlee Fadder. Tank oo fuh my famee. Bwess Daddy an Mommy an Mimi an mu bwudder. I wuv oo. Name o Jeesuhs Cwis. Ahmeh."
Translation: Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for my family. Bless Daddy and Mommy and Mimi and my brother. I love you. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

How perfect is that? That came right from his heart. Both good and bad, children learn from the example of the adults around them. I'm so glad to know we're doing at least one thing right.

Quick Update

Bulldog now has all of his teeth. Pwew! The constant nursing (helps with teething pain), plus 15 month sleep regression, plus not having Internet access for 2 weeks, plus enjoying summer freedom equals a neglected blog.

Bulldog is now walking up and down the stairs! My back is thankful, but my nerves aren't. He's bowlegged and still getting the hang of this bipedal locomotion thing, so he looks like he's about to go tumbling down every time he takes a step. The kid also had the nerve to outgrow his car seat! We have the Graco MyRide 65. We bought it because it has one of the highest rear-facing capabilities of any car seat on the market, and isn't insanely expensive. Babyzilla outgrew it at 13 months because he's freakishly tall (WAY off the charts). Bulldog isn't as tall -"only" 99th percentile- so we figured he'd make it closer to the AAP recommendation of 2 years. We forgot to consider that he's off the chart for weight. (I swear I make breastcream, not breastmilk.) At his 15 month appointment he weighed 35 pounds (the max for rear-facing in his seat). He loves facing forward!

Babyzilla is getting so big! He's 2.5 now. His language has exploded this summer. He loves to dance and help clean up. He helps me in the kitchen (adding ingredients and mixing) and around the house by picking up toys, pushing laundry into the dryer (supervised, of course), sweeping, making the beds, and loading the kid dishes into the dishwasher. I've never drilled flashcards with him. We're learning letters, numbers, shapes, and colors sort of organically. He's picked up most of his colors through my use of language. For example, "Yes, that's a ball. That's a blue ball." One of the TV shows he watches is Super Why on PBS. He LOVES that show, and it's really helped him learn his letters. He knows capital and lowercase a, c, e, g, i, o, p, r, s, t, u, and y. Not too shabby. (While I'm not a huge TV fan, I am a realist. I'm a full-time student AND a mom. When I have papers to write and projects to do, I employ the electronic babysitter for an hour. When I graduate and get a paycheck, I'm making a big donation to PBS for keeping me sane.) He also loves circles and finds them everywhere.

We had a soggy 4th, and our neighbors set off fireworks until 3 a.m.

So that's what we've been up to for the past few weeks.

A Week in Pre-2000 America

There was a time, about a decade and a half ago, when homes didn't have the Internet. At least, mine didn't. I had a flash-back to that time this past week. My darling children pulled the router and modem off the shelf where they are stored, and the router refused to work. We're expecting a bonus paycheck this month, so we'll buy our new router when my husband gets paid. (I'm currently accessing the web via a borrowed signal that Hubby found.)

For the past week, I have been able to check neither Facebook nor Pinterest. When planning my meals, I had to use my cookbooks, because I couldn't access the loads of recipes I've pinned. I couldn't check with my playgroups about playdate locations and times. I couldn't check the weather and news at will. I had to *gasp* wait for the 6 o'clock news. (Kind of annoying since Tropical Storm Andrea was heading our way.) I didn't get to listen to Pandora or my favorite podcasts.

And you know what? I survived.

I cooked old favorites from cookbooks long forgotten. I just showed up at the park. Sometimes there were other moms, but sometimes there weren't. And I survived. I pushed my kids on the swings, and collected leaves. Instead of Pinning things to do with the boys, I did them. We drew with sidewalk chalk and blew bubbles and made forts out of couch cushions. We had dance parties. I got to play these really old things called CDs on my kitchen radio. My boys loved it! When I got "bored", I read a book, or I played some Solitaire and Plants vs. Zombies.

I'm not canceling my internet access any time soon, but this little adventure showed me how much time I was taking from life and giving to the web. It's time to take most of that back.

A Letter to My Teething Baby

Dear Bulldog,
     Your gums are on fire, and you have spears being driven through your gums. I shouldn't have any joy because of this, but I do. You see, for a little while there, I was afraid that you wanted to wean, that you didn't need me in that special way anymore. Because of your teething pain, you've wanted to nurse A LOT this week. The milk has analgesic properties, so it helps to soothe your pain, and our extended snuggles provide comfort, letting you know that I'm here for you. By being chained to the couch, your favorite nursing spot, I've been forced to take a much needed rest from my daily routine. As a bonus, your amazing big brother has taken to join us on the couch for cuddles. I get to spend my day watching Sesame Street and Thomas the Tank Engine while cuddling with my two favorite boys.
     At night, you want only me to help you get to sleep. Daddy just won't do. In spite of the medicine and nursing, you still hurt too much to fall into a peaceful sleep. So I rock you, and sing you every song I know, and pray over you. I pray with more sincerity than I have in a while. As I try to comfort you, I am comforted by my Father. I get a glimpse of what He feels when I hurt, and I know that He is here for me, just as I am here for you. I thank you for that.
     I promise, this pain won't last forever. It will end, and it is for a purpose. It is for your good. Once you have teeth, you can eat really awesome stuff like steak. You're just like your daddy, so I'm pretty sure you'll love steak. I wish I could say that this is the last time you'll feel pain like this, but I can't. Life has many times of great pain, but it doesn't last forever. Try to find the joyous moments in the pain, and remember that the Lord and I are watching over you.
Love,
Mommy

Saving Money at Costco

     3 months ago Hubby and I decided to get a Costco membership. Our boys eat A LOT of fruit. Bananas at Costco are 20 cents a pound cheaper than the ones at Publix. We did the math. We go through 6 pounds of bananas a week. By buying bananas at Costco, we'd save at least $62.40 a year. Just in bananas! The membership is $55 a year, so we knew this was something that needed to happen.

     I've been told that prices at Costco aren't any better than the grocery stores. I laugh at people who try to convince me that we're wasting our money there. Yes, if you go off your list, you'll rack up a huge bill from stuff you don't need, and not everything at Costco is a great deal. However, a consumer who is aware of product costs and sticks to his/her list is likely to come out ahead when shopping at Costco. We have neither an extra freezer nor a lot of pantry storage. Hubby and I have bought exactly 2 impulse buys in our 3 months as Costco members. Even so, we've already saved enough to cover our membership and then some.

    I don't know all of the prices off the top of my head, but this is a list of things I know are cheaper at Costco than at our local grocery stores. I've included the prices for the items that I know. I'll write down the prices for the others on my next trip and update.

Coconut oil- I love this stuff! A 4 pound jar is about $16 at Costco. A 1 pound jar is $13. I go through a jar a month, so that's $12 a month in savings.
Olive Oil
Lemon juice
Baking soda
Yeast (if you bake a lot)
Rice
Annie's Mac and Cheese (I know it's not "real food," but it's a convenience food that I can live with.)
Flour (if you bake a lot)
Sugar (if you bake a lot)
Cinnamon
Garlic powder
Mrs. Dash
Dried oregano
Dried basil
Sea salt
Canned organic tomatoes
Canned mushrooms

Bananas- Costco: 3 lbs at $0.49/ lb  Publix: $0.69 / lb
Strawberries- Costco: 4 lbs at $1.99/ lb  Publix: $2.50/ lb
Onions, red and yellow
Apples
Garlic
Cantaloupes-  Costco: 3 for $6 Publix: $2.50 each on sale
Berries of any kind
Fresh organic spinach
Grape tomatoes
Mushrooms
Celery

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts- Costco :$2.99/ lb  Publix: $2.99/ lb when they're on sale. I love not having to wait for a sale!
Whole chickens- Costco: $0.99/ lb  Publix: They were just on sale for $1.29/ lb.
Ground beef- Costco- $2.99/ lb  Publix: The cheapest ground beef is $3.69/ lb. Costco's tastes much better, too.

Almond milk- Babyzilla has a dairy sensitivity, so we use a lot of this. The price works out to be buy 2 get 1 free.
Yogurt
Eggs

Freezer bags
Garbage bags
Baby wipes
Children's Tylanol (Kirkland brand)

Gasoline- We save about $0.10 a gallon by buying our gas from Costco, and it saves a trip since it's right there.

I've been told that coffee, dog food, maple syrup, and toilet paper are all good deals at Costco, but I haven't confirmed these as we don't use coffee or dog food and are still using toilet paper from my last stock up.

If your family uses any of the above, a Costco membership might be something to consider.

It's the Little Things

     So many people think that romance is what they see on the Bachelor; exotic vacations, outrageous dates, and candle light dinners. Real life isn't like that. Real life romance is sitting on the porch during a summer storm after the kids are in bed, getting up early to wash the dishes that your spouse was too exhausted to finish the night before, and picking up a cookbook from your office's freecycle table because it made you think of your spouse. Between you and me, I prefer real life romance.

Strawberry Bread

For the first time ever, our 4 pound clam shell of strawberries from Costco started getting mushy before we'd eaten all of it. There's a popular adage in our church: Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. This was a time to use it up. I searched through my cookbooks for a good way to use up strawberries. I found this recipe in my Food Storage cookbook from the LDS cannery. It was SO good!

Strawberry Bread

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use melted coconut oil.)
2 cups sliced strawberries

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil, and berries. Mix until just moistened. Spoon into 2 prepared (greased and floured) loaf pans. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool in the pans for several minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack to cool completely.  

Frozen PB & B Bars

Hubby works for our state's government, and I'm a full-time student and mom. We're not rolling in money by any stretch of the imagination. For the time being, we're receiving food assistance in the form of WIC. In case you aren't familiar with WIC, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, infants, and children up to age 5 receive checks for a monthly allotment of milk, cheese, beans, cereal, etc. One of the things we get a lot of with WIC is peanut butter. The problem is, Babyzilla (who's almost 2 and a half now) doesn't really care for peanut butter. I can eat only so many PB&Js. I use it as a dip for apples and celery, too. Still, I had 5 jars of peanut butter in my cabinets. That's how these beauties were born.

Frozen PB&B Bars

Ripe bananas
Creamy peanut butter
Graham crackers

Mix together bananas with enough peanut butter to make a goopy, yet speadable mixture. (The paddle attachment on a stand mixer is perfect for this.) Spread a spoonfull onto 1/2 of a graham cracker square, and top with the other half. Place the sandwiches in a freezer bag and freeze for at least 2 hours.

The first time I made these, I used 5 bananas and about half of a jar of peanut butter, but use what you have on hand.

Zucchini and Beans with Pasta

One of my favorite things about summer is the bounty of available fresh vegetables at low prices. Our farmers' markets are full of zucchini and yellow squash. The beans and pasta in this recipe make a complete protein and a cheap, delicious meal.

1/2 pound of dried Great Northern beans
6 cups sliced zucchini
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (any color)
1 large garlic clove, smashed
1 29 oz can of tomato puree
3/4 cup water or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper
4-5 fresh basil leaves OR 1/2 tsp dried basil
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like extra kick)
1 pound elbow macaroni or other small pasta
Grated Romano or Parmesan cheese (optional)

Prep: Soak beans overnight
1. Cook beans according to package directions. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
2. Start heating heavily salted water for pasta.
3. In a large pan, on medium heat, cook the onion in the olive oil until it begins to soften. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add zucchini and saute, until slightly softened.
4. Add tomato puree, water or broth, reserved bean broth, salt and pepper. Bring to bubbling. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add beans and basil. Cook 5 more minutes. If it is too thick, add water.
6. Place cooked and drained macaroni into a serving bowl. Spoon 3/4 of the sauce over the pasta and mix. Pour remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with grated cheese, if using.

Meal Plan 5/27/13

Monday:
     Breakfast: Cereal and fruit
     Lunch: Black-eyed pea burgers, cantelope
     Dinner: Dinner out with Papaw and Gammy
Tuesday:
     Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and strawberries
     Lunch: Macaroni and cheese, broccoli
     Dinner: Chicken enchilada zucchini boats (recipe to come), rice, steamed carrots
Wednesday:
     Breakfast: Oatmeal and berries
     Lunch: Quesadillas with beans, applesauce
     Dinner: Beef stir-fry, rice
Thursday:
     Breakfast: Cereal and fruit
     Lunch: Pasta with chicken and peas
     Dinner: Crock-Pot Lentils, quinoa, and broccoli
Friday:
     Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and fruit
     Lunch: Ground beef with rice and yellow squash
     Dinner: Zucchini and beans with pasta
Saturday:
     Breakfast: Cinnamon chip pancakes and cantelope
     Lunch: Grilled cheese
     Dinner: Lasagna
Sunday:
     Breakfast: Cereal and fruit
     Lunch: Crock-Pot Lima beans and cornbread
     Dinner: Pork chops, couscous, squash, and cinnamon apples (recipe to come)

PPD-Talking About it

     In January, I made a decision. I decided that I could not continue living with the depression that consumed me. I decided that the deep, dark hopelessness and the fits of rage were not normal, nor were they healthy. Ultimately, I realized that my depression was affecting my ability to parent the way I want. Thanks to some great friends and Hubby, I decided to talk to my doctor about what I was feeling. She prescribed a low dose antidepressant and counseling. For the first time in a long time, I felt hope. I felt like... me. Hubby even commented about how happy he was to have his wife back. Now, I'm enjoying my kids and hopeful for the future.

     One of my big priorities this summer is to get into counseling. I put it off this semester because I just could not add another thing to my plate, even if it would have been helpful. My local ICAN group has a list of therapists/ counselors who have dealt with birth trauma. I'm making my first appointment this week. If you're dealing with depression, please get help. There's no need to live in a pit of dispair. You're not crazy, and you're not alone.

Weekly Meal Plan 5/20/13

 Monday:  
     Breakfast: Cereal, melon
     Lunch: Pasta, chicken, broccoli
     Dinner: Pineapple BBQ pork loin, brown rice, carrot chips
Tuesday:
     Breakfast: Oatmeal, blueberries
     Lunch: Quesadillas, red beans, oranges
     Dinner: Pork chops, black eyed peas, spinach, stewed apples
Wednesday:  
     Breakfast: Eggs, apples
     Lunch: Macaroni and cheese with tuna and peas
     Dinner: London broil, broccoli, yellow squash, rice
Thursday:
     Breakfast: Eggs, strawberries
     Lunch: Red beans, rice, spinach
     Dinner: Black eyed pea patties, rice, peaches, salad
Friday:
     Breakfast: Cereal, fruit
     Lunch: Cream cheese crackers, carrots
     Dinner:  Enchilada zucchinis,  fruit cocktail
Saturday:
     Breakfast: Baked oatmeal
     Lunch: Leftovers or quesadillas
     Dinner: Fajitas,
Sunday:
     Breakfast: Cereal, fruit
     Lunch: Hubby's Crock-Pot lima beans, cornbread,
     Dinner: Curried lentils, brown rice, spinach

Saving Money the Old Fashioned Way

     There was a time, not too long ago, when I was a "coupon queen." In any given week, I would save $50 or more in coupons. Most weeks I even made money on purchases. $0.10 for a box of pasta, $0.25 for a box of crackers. Most of the time, it was cheaper overall to buy more items than the one we needed. It was a rush. The feeling was doubled when we'd give missionaries bags of food after feeding them a meal in our home or box after box of food and vitamins (money makers) with my mom, who distributed it among the people she knows who are in need. It was great to be able to bless so many lives and help my family in the process.

     Then the well of coupon craziness went dry. Everybody and their mother (including mine) started couponning. There were stupid reality shows about it. Manufacturers couldn't afford to give our as many good coupons, so , instead of getting $1 off something, we get $0.25 off. I'm not complaining, I promise. Manufacturers have to make money. I get that. However, it has made saving money on groceries tougher. I've had to go back to basics to keep us in budget.

• BeansDave Ramsey suggests eating "rice and beans, and beans and rice" to save money. Beans are FULL of fiber, protein, and other nutrients. A one-pound bag is anywhere from $1.25-$1.75. They're even more economical if you buy larger bags.
  
  Growing up, I never ate beans because my mother never made them. She didn't like them (and didn't know how to cook with them), so they never made their way to our table. My husband comes from a Southern family. Beans are a staple. Black beans, red beans, black eyed peas, pinto beans, lima beans (baby and large), and the list goes on. When we got married, he made beans and made me try them. Yes, I felt a bit like a 5 year old being told "Try it. You might like it." But he did it with the love and humor, not in a patronizing way. A crazy thing happened- I fell in love with beans! Now, one of my favorite lunches is brown rice cooked in homemade stock with black beans, and some red onion. Lentils take 25 minutes to cook and don't require soaking, so they're very popular in our kitchen.
  
  I credit this book with teaching me to cook with beans and lentils. I had no idea that beans can be used in so many ways! Now that I have Pinterest, I get new bean dish ideas all the time. They best part is that they taste REALLY good. I have a bunch of easy, delicious bean recipes in the works. I'm hoping to have a couple of them up by the end of the week.
• Cook more from scratch/ Use the freezer
  I lump these two together because making use of my freezer allows me to cook from scratch, even when I don't have a lot of time. Often, I can throw made-from-scratch meals into the Crock Pot and cook some spinach or make a salad to have a complete meal. Other times, I'll have the most time-consuming part of a meal ready in the freezer.
  
  When I was couponing, we ate more convenience foods than I'd like to admit. Not as bad as many Americans, but still. The lack of amazing coupon deals combined with my resolve to get crud out of my family's diet, especially with 2 young kids, lead me to get back to real cooking. I can make homemade "helper" for pennies, surprisingly cheaper than I could buy it even with coupons.
  
  My big money saver is broth. It's FREE! When I cut up vegetables, I toss the scraps into a gallon-size freezer bag and store it in the freezer. When I get a couple of bags worth of peelings and ends, I throw the contents into a pot and cover with water. I add some salt and pepper, and let it cook down for a couple of hours to release all of the flavor and nutrients. Then I strain it, and freeze 2 cup portions in freezer bags.
  
  Like I said, I like to have the most time-consuming part of the meal done with and hanging out in the freezer. Taco meat and shredded chicken are prime examples of this. We buy our meat in bulk. (Thanks, Costco!) I take 1-2 hours to do my freezer cooking from start to finish. I brown ground beef with salt and pepper and freeze some of it as it is and add taco seasoning (homemade, not from a packet) to the rest. I bag it and freeze it. On the nights we're having tacos, I take the bag out of the freezer (because I never remember to defrost it) and put it in a pan to heat up while I cut up tomatoes and lettuce. A full taco dinner is on the table in under 20 minutes!
  
  I boil boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a pot with salt, pepper, a bay leaf, and onion powder. (While they're boiling, I'm browning the beef.) When the chicken is done, I put 3-4 breasts at a time into the bowl of my Kitchen Aid mixer and use the paddle attachment to break up the chicken. It takes about 30 seconds. After the shredded chicken cools, I bag it and freeze it in 2 cup portions. I use this chicken all the time! I use it in my Enchilada Zucchinis (recipe to come), and I add it to soups, pasta dishes, and quesadillas. I add some barbecue sauce to make sandwiches. The possibilities are endless.
• Make the most of what you buyI may be aging myself a bit here, but I remember these things called leftovers. They were nasty. They had a weird texture, and their temperature was always wrong. Most of the time, they became science experiments that got thrown in the trash. So what's a thrifty girl to do when she has extra food? Use it, but use it in a different way. Those left over green beans aren't going to taste as good if you just microwave them, but they're delicious in soup.
• Meal PlanI know, I know. You're probably sick of hearing this one, but it really does work. My meal plan is based on three things. 1) What's on hand. 2) What's on sale. 3) What's in season.
  
  I make my plan on Friday morning, so I can do my shopping on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. I browse the ads of my local grocery stores, and check my pantries, freezer and fridge. I see what needs to get used up and build meals around those things. This week, I noticed that I have apples that are getting old (something very rare in our house of fruit-lovers), so I've planned to make stewed apples with the pork chops I have planned for Tuesday night. I've also planned to add them to the baked oatmeal I'm making for Saturday's breakfast.
• Not buy
  This one is the hardest for me. I grew up with my Depression-era grandparents. I was taught to always stock up on food, because you never know. I've had to learn some self-control. If something isn't in the budget, no matter how good a deal, it isn't in the budget. Period. If it's that important, I need to put something else back.

I still use coupons and take advantage of sales, but they're no longer my most important means of keeping in my budget. What are your favorite ways to save money on groceries?